Six ways to save this year

This is America Saves Week (Feb. 25-March 2), a time when many organizations focus on encouraging Americans to define their personal savings goals and make a plan to start, or increase, their saving habits. Whether you’re new to saving or looking to add to your current savings goals, the following are actions you can take each day to strengthen your saving habits.

Monday: Save with a plan

Most people know that the best way to achieve their goals is to plan ahead. A plan can help you reach your savings goals. Saving can be difficult, but it’s worth it in the long-term.

Tuesday: Save automatically

Now that you have a plan, a great way to make sure you’re saving consistently is to do it automatically. If you have direct deposit, you may be able to arrange for a part of each paycheck to be automatically deposited straight into your savings account. This is a good alternative to remembering to deposit or transfer money into your savings account. You could also set up an automatic recurring transfer with your bank from your checking account to a savings or investment account.

Action:If you don’t already have a savings account, learn more about your options forplaces to save.

Wednesday: Save for the unexpected

The first thing you should prioritize—if you haven’t already—is to establish an emergency fund. People often don’t anticipate medical emergencies, natural disasters, or an expensive car or home repair, but these things happen.

Thursday: Save for retirement

Once you have money set aside for unexpected and emergency expenses, you might want to consider saving for longer-term goals, like retirement. It’s important to start saving for retirement as soon as you can, since your savings typically grow over time. Consider participating in employer programs, such as a 401(k) if available, and learn if you are eligible to receive an employer match, where your employer puts in some money in addition to your contributions.

If you’re a member of the military, the Thrift Savings Plan (TSP) is the federal government’s version of a 401(k) retirement plan. Though it’s one of the best options for retirement investing, only half of servicemembers take advantage of TSP. Learn more about savings options for servicemembers.

Friday: Save the extra

America Saves Week happens during tax season, when many Americans receive tax refunds and are deciding what to do with that payout. Putting some, or all, of your tax refund aside can jumpstart your savings goal and motivate you to keep adding to it.

Knowing that you’re putting money aside can help to reduce the stress you may feel about your finances, and may lead to more financial freedom in the future as your savings grow. It also helps to ensure that unexpected expenses don’t derail your financial plans. Whatever you’re able to do, the most important thing is to just start saving. Will you commit to saving this America Saves Week? Sign the America Saves pledge.